Disclaimer: I don't own anything Phantom of the Opera or Twilight (though I wish I did). Only original characters belong to me.

AN: Here's Erik! He's going to be a bit different in this story than in my previous ones, because it's completely in modern times, and he's never been the Phantom we all know and love. I'm basically taking the traditional character and molding him to fit the story, so please don't hit me with flames about how out-of-character he is compared to my other works.

Thanks for reading, and please review.

Chapter 2: A Stranger in a Strange Place:

Forks. It had to be the oddest name he'd ever heard for a town. Still, he wouldn't judge a place by its name; he had to see what certain members of the community were like first. If the rumors he'd heard were true, he'd settle here. If not, he'd move on to another place nearby and hope for the best.

'Not that I've had much experience with towns,' he thought with a sneer.

Isolation had been the firm belief of the Garnier family, his family, for centuries. People called them strange and eccentric, but only because most of his family had not gone out in Parisian society like other nobles. Oh, they wanted to, desperately, but considering their family bloodline, it wasn't a good idea.

"Being a werewolf is very overrated," Erik muttered as he gripped the steering wheel of his car. "Just like coming from a long line of French nobles, dating back centuries, is overrated."


No one in his family knew who had first introduced the "curse," as they called it, but most suspected it was from one of the marriages made with a foreign family. In all likelihood, it had all started with that German noblewoman, Anna, a lady who had come with a vast dowry, a fair face, and a secret that was not revealed until after the birth of her second child. That was when she'd discovered her husband having a fling with a parlor maid, and lost her temper. In the blink of an eye, she'd changed into a tremendous wolf, right there in the library, and her family's secret had come out.

Fortunately, no one had been hurt in her rampage through the estate, and the maid had been threatened into silence as she was bundled off into the French countryside. No one knew what had happened to the maid afterwards, but from that day on, there had been a huge uproar in the Garnier family. There was worry over the children that Lady Anna Garnier had borne, and for the safety of the family, as well as the fact that the family's blood was now 'tainted.'

By watching Lady Anne's children, the family was relieved that only one of her sons had inherited the werewolf 'curse.' The eldest son grew up without difficulty, much to the family's joy, but the second son changed shape when, at fourteen-years-old, he lost his temper in an argument with his cousins. Thankfully, no one was seriously hurt.

It was then that the Garnier family retreated from society, fleeing to their country estates and practically living like hermits in order to hide their shameful secret from the rest of the world. They might have been nobles, but the Garniers had their morals, and family meant a great deal to them. They would not send a single unfortunate soul to live alone, especially not with such a tremendous secret to bear.

In the seclusion of the countryside, the two sons of Anna grew into men. Believing his blood to be clean and pure of werewolf taint, the eldest was sent off to Paris to find a decent marriage prospect. When it came to the youngest, however, the family did their best to persuade the poor cursed lad never to marry and spread his shameful bloodline beyond himself. They could not have known that the boy would defy them by marrying a young housemaid in secret, and that he would pass down the ability to change into a werewolf.

When the younger son's marriage and offspring had been discovered, a great deal of damage control had to be done, and as well as much planning for the future. Since forbidding love or marriage might very well end the family line, the heads of the Garnier clan decided that all future marriages had to be carefully planned and negotiated, preferably through a member of the family without the werewolf blood. This man (or, on occasion, woman) was to be sent into Parisian society as a sort of matchmaker for the young heirs and heiresses of Garnier family fortunes.

Given that the Garniers were so wealthy and well-known, it wasn't that difficult to find a husband or bride for the young folk. However, keeping that spouse after the family secret was revealed tended to be rather difficult. Many divorces and separations had occurred over the years, most before a child could be produced.

Luckily, there were a few matches that were well-made, and while it was true that they risked spreading the werewolf bloodline, the family hoped that it would thin out over time, and eventually fade away with each generation.

Unfortunately, it did not. Even worse, word began to spread about the frequent divorces and separations within the Garnier marriages, and talk spread of how odd and eccentric the family was becoming. Eventually, fewer and fewer noble families were willing to part with their sons or daughters, even for a political or social match. Some married into the family for love, but not many, and soon the Garnier family's numbers began to dwindle.

Now, after centuries of struggling to keep the family line intact, there was only one Garnier left: and that was Erik.


It was hard enough being an only child, but it was especially hard being the last of a noble and distinguished family. Erik had grown up with the knowledge that he might be a werewolf, and when the change had occurred in his teenage years, his parents had been forceful with their demands.

"You must marry, and soon," his father often declared. "You are the last of our family, and you must produce an heir. We do not wish our family's wealth to be handed over to one of those off-shot branches, or worse, the government."

"And you must not leave the estate for too long," his mother always reminded. "If you were to loose your temper in public and change shape, terrible things could happen to you."

Of course, those orders contradicted each other. "How am I to meet a woman if I cannot leave the estate for long?" Erik demanded of them.

He often pushed that issue with his parents because he was tired of being cooped up. After his first change, they decided to take him on small trips in order to add 'variety' to his life. They took him to different estates owned by the family, and sometimes on a tour of moderate towns around France. His parents claimed it was so he could be around people, see what the world was like, and be somewhat prepared for when it was time for him to go searching for a wife.

But Erik wanted more than these petty excursions, especially since he was (ironically) rarely allowed to socialize. He wanted to learn, to explore, to experience life and see the world, just as any young man did. But he couldn't, not when he could loose his temper, change shape, and possibly tear out a person's throat with his teeth.

At first, Erik had followed his parents' orders, not because he wanted to, but because he had to. His father had the werewolf gene, as did his mother; they were very distant cousins, and because they were the last direct descendants of the Garnier line, their marriage had been arranged by their parents. Fortunately for everyone, they loved one another, and had produced a child fairly quickly. A pity the birth had been a rough one, and his mother hadn't been able to bear anymore children.

As their only child, Erik had been cherished, and given everything he wanted. He would have become quite the spoiled brat if it hadn't been for his mother's loyal friend, Antoinette Giry, teaching him to become a good man. Antoinette had had a way with words that ensured Erik did as he was told. She had left for England after Erik had made his first shape-change; Antoinette would not risk her daughter, Meg, getting hurt if Erik were to loose his temper with his childhood playmate. Lord, how he missed them.

Even though he'd been given everything he could want, Erik had apparently been born restless. Inside, he seemed to itch for something, something that he couldn't identify but which lay just beyond his grasp. To stave off this "itch," Erik attempted to keep himself busy. He read every book in the house, and took up a dozen hobbies, ranging from architecture, music composition, sculpture, art history, even musical instruments. All these provided a distraction for a while, but only until he mastered them –which he did, and quickly.

His parents recognized his genius, and had done their best to provide the finest education for him. They bought all the supplies, instruments, and books he could ever want or need, even going so far as to getting him a music system so that he could record his compositions and play them back. Television, however, was banned; his parents always claimed it would damage his mind somehow. He wasn't sure if that was true, or if they just wanted to limit his exposure to the wonders television might present.

But in spite of his mother and father's attempt to keep him 'happily isolated,' a part of Erik fought against the reins they put him on. He wanted to go out and meet other people, to find someone to love and who would love him in return, even in spite of his…unusualness. In fact, Erik was so desperate for his freedom that he had decided to run away at the age of twenty. He'd gathered as much money as he could find in the house, packed a bag, and left.

He made it as far as the border of the estate. That was where his parents had found him resting beneath a tree, him in his human shape, them in their wolf shapes: his father a large wolf the color of a storm cloud, and his mother a pale silver-grey that suited her slim, graceful shape.

For a moment, Erik had been stunned. They rarely shifted into their wolf forms, and when they did, it was only when they were in dense forest. Never had they appeared in wolf-shape in such a bold and aggressive manner.

He had been afraid, of course. His parents had authority over him, both as his mother and father, and as the alpha male and female. His mother, ever the diplomat, had spoken to him inside his head, gently asking him to come home. He hadn't known they could do that, but his momentary surprise was pushed aside by a flat-out refusal to go back.

"I won't be a prisoner anymore," he declared, getting to his feet. "I want to live my own life."

His father had snarled before knocking him over with a huge paw. 'You're place is here,' he growled inside Erik's mind. 'Now, will you come home willingly, or do we have to drag you?'

That had made Erik loose his own temper, and before he could blink, he had shifted; becoming a pure black wolf that nearly matched his father in size, but not quite. His mother had tried to reason with them, but Erik was too angry to listen. He had pounced on his father's back, and the fight had begun.

It was over quickly. His father, being the alpha male and much larger and stronger, had won, but at a price: the right side of Erik's face had been badly wounded in their fight, permanently scaring him.

Back at home, Erik had been a week in healing. Afterwards, he had taken one look in the mirror and resigned himself to a life of total seclusion. He had been handsome before: tall, broad-shouldered, with fine chiseled facial features, green eyes and black hair. With his face ruined, what woman would want him now?

His parents spent three years worrying about him. His father, who wasn't normally one for apologies, had felt terrible for causing his son pain, and his mother always hovered, something that mothers were naturally good at.

Both had done their best to tend to him, right up until the day they died.


Erik shivered as he remembered that terrible night, and the day following it. One evening, his parents had gone out to hunt in wolf form, and never come home. That was also the night Erik had met Nadir Khan.

Nadir was an older Persian man who studied the supernatural, and his studies had brought him close to the Garnier estate. He had been in the same woods as Erik's parents when he heard what sounded like a terrible battle being waged. He had peered over a small grassy knoll, and there they were: a group of robbers and two huge wolves, tearing each other apart.

Watching in horror, Nadir had seen the wolves destroy the well-armed men, but at the expense of their own lives. They had shifted into their human forms at the end, and Nadir had gone to see if there was anything that could be done for them. There wasn't. Lord and Lady Garnier had pleaded with the Persian, asking him to take care of their son, and to try and get him out into the world.

"Tell him we love him," his mother had whispered, "And that we only wanted what was best for him."

That night, Nadir approached the twenty-three year old Erik to tell him what had happened. "They died protecting their lands from invaders and thieves," he said. "But most of all, they died protecting you."

He then spent an entire week consoling the new Lord Garnier, and helping him get his parents' affairs in order. Nadir even dealt with the lawyers and paperwork, something Erik would never have been able to do on his own.

From then on, the two were fast friends. And from his new friend and mentor, Erik discovered modern technologies that his parents had previously refused him, and learned about the world outside his estate. Not only that, but Nadir quickly decided to move into the mansion so that Erik would not be lonely. He also taught Erik some much-needed social graces, etiquette, and most importantly, how to get along with another person who wasn't family.

They lived together as two bachelors for over ten years. Once and a while, Nadir would leave to bring Erik the latest in entertainment technology, like a DVD player, new television, or stereo system. Other times it was the latest movie, or just recently, a computer and a cell phone. Until his father's death, using the phone had been out of the question for Erik; it was for only for his father's use, and only for business and emergencies. The only time Erik had used the phone was reporting to the family lawyer that his parents had been killed by armed robbers.

But the other reason Nadir left the estate was to gather news, both in regards to his course of study in the supernatural, and of the world. Then, six months ago, Nadir brought him the strangest and most unexpected news.

"There are werewolves in America," he said over drinks one night.

Erik nearly choked on his brandy. "What?"

Smirking, Nadir told him what he had discovered. From his friends in the supernatural communities, Nadir had heard talk of an epic battle between werewolves and vampires on the west coast of America.

"Not that they know that we know," Nadir hastily explained. "We scholars of the supernatural gather such knowledge secretly and discreetly. In fact, a few years ago, I myself had heard of a rash of unusual killings and attacks in Seattle, Washington. Others must also have put two-and-two together, and realized that a vampire army was being formed. That sort of thing doesn't go unnoticed by us, though we must be as careful as those we study so that we are not discovered."

Nadir went on to explain that in this particular incident, both vampires and werewolves had agreed to a truce, and lived there in relative peace. "Although the two races traditionally do not get along, the Native American tribe there, the Quileute, have struck a peace treaty with the vampire clan dwelling there. If you wish to live among others of your kind, this might be the place to do so."

It had never occurred to Erik that there might be other werewolves in the world. Each generation of Garniers had believed that their family alone had been cursed and their blood tainted. This fear caused them to hide away from the world, fearful of what might happen if they left the countryside. He told Nadir so, and the older man had actually been surprised at the idea.

"I thought you only hid because of your scars," the Persian said. "No, werewolves are not a curse; it's genetic. Sometimes a person gets the gene, sometimes they don't. There is no curse upon you. You have no need to hide, as long as you keep control of your temper."

At that moment, Erik decided to take charge of his life. He had no use for many of the family's estates –most of them hadn't been used in decades, and considering that the bloodline had dwindled down to just him, that was no surprise. What could he possibly do with six or eight country estates? The family had even held onto a townhouse in Paris, though no one had used it in a hundred years; it was mostly kept for appearances.

"Nadir, I want you to do a few things for me," he said, swirling his glass of brandy.


Now here he was, in Forks, following the roadway signs directing him to the Quileute reservation. Most of his ancestral homes had been sold; the only ones he'd kept were the estate he'd grown up in and the townhouse in Paris. He may have been isolated, but even Erik knew that the property in Paris was valuable, and that was where all of the antiquities from the sold estates had been moved to. Fortunately, the townhouse was on the vast side, and had been relatively unfurnished for the past century (due to lack of residency).

Nadir, genius that he was, had rented the townhouse out to a very rich couple, which was bringing in a good income for Erik to live off of. He was already rich, but after selling the family estates and renting out the townhouse, he was even better off than before. A financial cushion was always a good thing.

'And thank god Nadir taught me how to drive,' he thought, smiling as he pulled off the main road. Erik rather enjoyed driving; it was liberating for him.

Sitting there was a cluster of wood buildings, possibly the central government of the tribe. A few cars, trucks, and a motorcycle were parked in front of the largest building, which was only one story tall, but long and wide. That was where the council was waiting for him.

Taking a deep breath, Erik pulled into a parking space.


"It's a very generous offer, Mr. Garnier," Billy Black said, folding his hands and leaning forward on the table. "Donations to provide scholarships and finances for the tribe's schools, funds to build a youth center and public hangout for the kids –it's all very hard to turn down. But why are you asking to live among us? I doubt that a small town like Forks and our humble reservation can offer the finer things you're used to in France."

Erik reached up and rubbed his white mask in thought. "I had a very sheltered and secluded upbringing," he said, trying not to let his nervousness show. "I wanted to see new places, and Forks seemed the most promising."

"But why?" asked Sue Clearwater, eying him carefully as she spoke. "What could we possibly have that France does not?"

He took a deep breath; it was time to take a chance. "It has werewolves, for one."

The tribal members went quiet, and an eerie silence settled in the room. Eyes grew shifty, nervous, or cold, and Erik merely stood there, calm as the storm approached. They were going to try and deny it, he was sure.

"What makes you say something crazy like that?" Billy asked, leaning back in his wheelchair.

"I say it because it's true," Erik replied. "Whether you know it or not, there are people in the world who spend their whole lives studying the supernatural, and they believe in werewolves and vampires. They know your secret, but will never tell anyone unless that information is much needed."

He took another deep breath. "However, they told me because I am a werewolf as well."

That certainly set them off. A few council members voiced their disbelief while others sat staring in surprise. Arguments broke out while Erik stood there, growing more and more agitated with each passing minute. He could feel his blood heating, his human canine teeth slowly growing more elongated and his breathing growing shallower.

"Enough!" Sue Clearwater snapped, silencing everyone. "Look at him!"

They did. Billy eyed him over and nodded. "Well, even if none of you recognize the traits, I certainly do. After all, my son Jake is the head of his own wolf pack."

The other council members nodded as Erik stared at him. Billy chuckled. "I'll tell you what," he said as he leaned forward on the table. "We'll give you a trial run, so to speak. There's a house that straddles the border between Forks and the reservation that's been empty for a few years. You can live there for the next six months, and if things work out, we'll let you stay."

Erik made to thank him, but Billy stopped him. "But there's a catch," he said. "Our only request is that, as a werewolf, you abide by the treaty we hold between ourselves and the vampire clan that lives in Forks."

"The Cullen family is the vampire clan we speak of," Sue put in. "The first rule is that they stay off our land, and we don't reveal their true natures to the residents of Forks. Rule number two is that if they were to bite a human or turn them into a vampire, the treaty is broken, and the wolf packs will destroy them."

"If the treaty is broken, we expect you to side with us," Bill said. "Is that understood?"

Erik nodded. After all, what did he have to loose?


'So this is what it's like to have friends,' Erik thought with wonder, staring at the dishes of food stacked on his dining table and kitchen countertop. Well, not 'friends,' exactly, but it was nice having people act decently towards him. He'd never expected them to be hospitable.

Most of the Quileute tribe had dropped off welcoming gifts of already cooked dishes, beverages, and even a bouquet of flowers, courtesy of Sue. It warmed him, knowing that they cared.

Looking around his new home, Erik felt more fulfilled that he had back in France. The house was minuscule compared to his French estate, but it was certainly spacious enough for one person. The building was in pretty good condition –a bit battered from the rough, damp weather, but the walls and roof were sound, he had heat, air conditioning, plumbing, and tight windows, so he had nothing to complain about.

"Just a quick coat of paint, a shopping trip into Port Angeles, some groceries, and you'll be all set," Billy had declared when handing over the keys to the place. "My son Jacob can help whenever you need it."

Erik didn't care about painting the outside, which was a soothing blue-green, and in fair shape. The inside walls were all hardwood, so painting would have been difficult, at best. He left the house as it was.

A few of his things from France were scattered about: his favorite books, his sculpting tools, paint sets, a few hundred empty sheet music pages to write on, and some decorative furniture to fill the place. A quick call to Nadir or a shopping trip would take care of the rest of the furniture. The tribe had generously included appliances with the house, namely as a 'thank-you' for the donations he'd made towards the schools.

The best part was that, after he'd moved his possessions in, Erik had been given the surprise of his life: a housewarming party by the Quileute tribe.

Honestly, he hadn't expected a warm welcome, but the women of the tribe had brought a mound of food for him, ranging from salads to lasagna, and something called a "casserole." The men had brought bottles of beer and wine, and kindly offered their home repair skills, just in case he needed them. Even the Chief-of-Police in Forks, Charlie Swan, had welcomed him with a six-pack of beer and a warm handshake. Erik wasn't particularly fond of beer, but was willing to put up with it, just this once.

But the biggest surprise had come from Jacob Black, Billy's son. The boy couldn't have been more than eighteen, but he appeared very mature for his age when he showed up at Erik's home with an offer of friendship.

"I know that my tribe doesn't trust you, but I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt," Jacob had said, his arms crossed over his chest. "I'm going to give you temporary permission to run through our woods in your wolf form. As long as you don't bother or hurt anyone, we'll leave you alone."

It had to be one of the best and worst offers Erik had ever had. Over the years, he had rarely shifted into his wolf form. Before they died, his parents had never really taught him how to control himself while in his other form, so he had always been afraid to shape change. In fact, the only times he had gone into wolf form was when he was furious and wanted to run off his anger. Jacob's offer provided the perfect opportunity to practice shape-changing at will, and learning to control his emotions.

Yawning, Erik stretched his arms and looked out the window. It was getting dark, so perhaps he would try his shape change tonight. He was feeling a bit antsy and wanted to stretch his legs a bit. A storm was coming in, and no one would miss him if he was away, so why not?


AN: Lots of info in this chapter, so I'm sorry if it seems boring. Things will get more fun in the upcoming chapters, I promise. Thanks so much for reading, and please review!